This invention relates to stretchers for emergency extrication of injured persons from the scene of an injury and more particularly to emergency drag stretchers that are arranged primarily to secure a person for drag extrication from a dangerous scene by one or more people.
Referring primarily to military battlefield injury situations, it is invariably of greatest importance to quickly remove the injured soldier from the immediate scene of his injury because of the extreme peril of additional injury or death due to the danger present at that particular location. However, in most cases valuable time is lost waiting for specialized personnel to bring stretchers and litters from rearward positions to the injured man since, by virtue of their large and bulky size, stretchers and litters are typically too awkward for frontline soldiers to carry with them as part of the standard equipment they carry. There is therefore a need for a stretcher apparatus specifically arranged for primary use in emergency situations where the immediate removal of an injured person from a danger scene is of primary importance for the safety of the injured person as well as that of his rescuer, as for example in battlefield situations, building collapses and other disaster situations involving mass casualties, as well as many other situations.